Lease Fallowing Tool
One alternative to the permanent transfer of agriculture water (known as "buy and dry") to another use is an alternative transfer method (ATM) known as lease-following. Lease fallowing is the temporary transfer of water from irrigation to another use, such as municipal use, keeping the water rights intact while at the same time providing important water supply to municipalities when needed. The UAWCD sponsored and led the development of a commonly accepted tool- the Lease Fallowing Tool- which reduces the transactional costs associated with the temporary change of use. Historically, these engineering calculations are an expensive and time-intensive component of water court change cases. Now, with the Lease Fallowing Tool, the high costs associated with temporary changes of water rights are reduced.
